WU PREPARES FOR TILT AT THIRD OLYMPICS

When you tell most Australian sport fans that Melissa Wu is still just 24-years-old, most of them don’t believe you.

It’s not because she doesn’t look 24 (if anything she looks younger); it’s more because Melissa Wu seems to have been around for ever.

10 years ago this year Wu burst onto the Australian sporting scene and into the hearts of Australian fans when she competed as a 13-year-old at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Pint-sized Wu mesmerised Australia with her brave diving; people couldn’t believe someone so tiny could throw themselves off a 10-metre platform with no sign of any fear at all.

She won a silver medal in the women’s synchro at those Games, and a fifth in the individual platform.

Since then she’s been to two more Commonwealth Games and two Olympics, and this weekend is hoping to make it number three.

None of the divers who were around when Wu competed in 2006 will be there this weekend. She is most definitely the most experienced, and most senior, member of the team.

And she’s also in he best form of anyone in the team. She won a bronze medal at this year’s World Cup in Brazil, which attracted an Olympic-class field, and has followed up with bronze medals at two World Series events.

On all three occasions only divers from China could finish ahead of her.

“I’m happy with my results this year because I’ve been working hard for a long time now, and focusing on every aspect of my diving to make sure that I can get the best results possible,” Wu said on the eve of the selection trials.

“All the separate pieces are finally coming together, which takes time, so I’m really happy that all my hard work is now translating into good results.”

It’s also something of a personal triumph that Wu has managed to climb her way back into world class form. She’s had to deal with personal tragedy away from the pool, and also had to get her confidence back after a diving mishap at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

But she knows what it takes to get to an Olympics, and this weekend she’ll use all that knowledge to make sure she gets that ticket to Rio.

“The process is never easy when preparing for competitions, especially the Olympics,” Wu said.

“But now that I’ve had lots of experience I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, so I’m better able to be physically and mentally prepared.

“I’m still learning a lot along the way though, particularly when it comes to managing injuries during training and competition.”

The Rio Nomination Trials and Australian Open Championships will be held at Aquanation in Melbourne, Victoria, starting Thursday and running through until Sunday.